Starbucks Introduction of Kind Bars Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Introduction of Kind Bars Essay â€Å"A Small Player Breaks Into Starbucks,† Starbucks has recently started a campaign to provide more healthy products to its consumers. This is considered quite the change since coffee, Starbucks primary product, is not necessarily thought of as healthy. To help start of this campaign it has agreed to start selling KIND bars, which are â€Å"combinations of dried fruits and nuts bound together by honey (NY Times). KIND bars seem to fit in great with the direction Starbucks is going, but they did not always. It took Daniel Lubetzky, owner of KIND, over five years of promoting his product to Starbucks to even get his foot in the door. 2. ) SWOT Analysis-Starbucks Strengths Coffee industry market leader * Customer satisfaction and strong brand loyalty * Free Wi-Fi available for customers * Innovative operations and a strong financial position * Strong product diversification Weaknesses * Although a diversified company, still strong reliance on coffee products for profit * High operating costs Downsizing * High prices on products * Competition is rising in their growing market Opportunities * Coffee Beans to be sold in stores * Brand Extension * Expansion to South Asian Markets * Provide more cost-and health-conscious products Threats * Competition * Rising number of health-conscious customers * Corporate giant image * Resistance in foreign countries due to political and cultural issues * Variation in coffee price in developing countries 3. ) Identification, Evaluation and Analysis of Alternatives KIND bars are not the only thing Starbucks is going to be offering in its new campaign. They plan to revamp the menu, introducing a variety of lighter and healthier foods such as salads, smoothies and fruit muffins. So why did Starbucks choose to introduce the KIND bar when it could of chosen Clif bars or SOYJOY bars, both more established than KIND. Clif is currently the market leader in nutrition bars and SOYJOY is widely international with distribution from Singapore to Belgium. It could be due to Mr. Lubetzky’s determination, or maybe because of KIND’s marketing mix. 4. )Recommendations and Conclusions KIND would be very appealing to Starbucks consumers for numerous reasons and this makes it obvious to Starbucks that it will be a good investment. KIND donates five percent of its profit to the PeaceWorks Foundation, â€Å"which strives to bring peace to Middle Eastern countries by building commercial food ventures (NY Times). † This makes the consumer feel good about their purchase because they feel as if they are contributing to a good cause. Also, Yale did a pilot study indicating that two KIND bars a day can help consumers lose weight. This is attractive to buyers due to the fact that around two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. KIND also promotes there products to be, â€Å"a brand of delicious, natural, healthful foods made from wholesome ingredients you can see amp; pronounce ®(KINDsnacks). † In a world where it seems that everything you consume has preservatives and who knows what else in them, KIND stands out in the crowd. Finally, with the price of $1. 5 at Starbucks, the deal cannot be beat, especially compared to relative prices of coffee at Starbucks. With all these advantages there is no question that Starbucks made the right decision in choosing KIND. This collaboration with to help offset Starbucks threats such as the rising number of health-conscious consumers, which is the basis of its campaign. An additional threat that may be counterbalanced is its image as a corporate giant because of their acceptance of a small business. Source Links: http://www. nytimes. om/2009/07/01/business/smallbusiness/01snackbar. html? ref=marketing http://www. kindsnacks. com/kind-store/buy-kind-bars Periodical Exercise 1. ) Problem/Decision Statement According to an article in BusinessWeek in 2012, titled, â€Å"Taco Bell introduces Doritos taco shell†, on March 8th Taco Bell introduced Doritos Locos to over 5,600 stores nationwide. Doritos Locos are like regular crunchy tacos but, it has a shell made with nacho cheese Doritos. This is considered one of the biggest product launches in the history of the company. Taco Bell has already confirmed their budget of $75 million to promote their new launch (BusinessWeek). This is over three times more of a budget than for previous new products. Doritos Locos is just the latest of many things Taco Bell has been trying to do to improve their menu. But the question is whether or not this is the right time to be taking on such a big market introduction, with the recent bad publicity caused by lawsuits attacking the quality of their beef. 2. ) SWOT Analysis- Taco Bell Strengths * Huge popular brand name and high brand loyalty Adopted a healthy trans-fat free formula which is a key competitive advantage over other competitors who has not yet switched to the healthier recipes. * Has the acknowledgment as the best Mexican style fast food restaurant in the U. S. * Owns over 5600 restaurants across the nation and 250 outlets internationally * Strong parent company, Yum! Brands, owns Pizza Hut and KFC as well * Open very late Weaknesses * High fat and high calorie food not good for health conscious people * Lost goodwill when customers were hospitalized due to traces of E. oli bacteria * Bad publicity due to lawsuits against quality of beef * Also lost goodwill for human rights protest in ’05 and rodent problem in ‘07 Opportunities * New flavors and recipes should be introduced especially focused on more health conscious ingredients in their menus * Introduce home delivery * Venture into new markets such as India, like Pizza Hut and KFC, that has a growing consumption of fast food Threats * Research and the raised awareness among consumers about the harmful health impacts of fast food consumption. The trans-fats, sugars, oils and salts which are ingredients of the fast foods being offered, are thus consumed in low proportions by the aware and educated consumers * Highly labor intensive which increases the subjectivity involved in the delivery of services * Threats from competitors of Taco Bell such as McDonalds and Subway 3. ) Identification, Evaluation and Analysis of Alternatives Since the Frito Lay Corporation is obviously the market leader in any type of corn chip, tortilla chip or any chip for that matter, there are not really any big alternatives that would be better than Doritos. Even if Taco bell would have gone with Tostitos or Santitas, other tortilla chip brands, instead, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference because they are still owned by Frito Lay. An alternative that Taco Bell should have considered is the Baked Doritos in place of regular fried Doritos. For the reason that many empty calories and trans fat comes from â€Å"hidden† oil and Baked Doritos might help with Taco Bell trying to gain an edge on the competition through the health conscious route. 4. ) Recommendations and Conclusions Doritos Locos would be very appealing to Taco Bells consumers for numerous reasons and this makes it obvious to Taco Bell that it will be a good investment. Honestly I believe that Taco Bell’s decision to launch Doritos Locos is an incredible idea for many reasons but at the same time it does have some drawbacks. Doritos are one of America’s top favorite snacks and to combine that with Americas top Mexican style fast food restaurant just seems like the great idea never before had. Doritos come in many flavors and so should Doritos Locos, such as Cool Ranch, Smoky Chipotle BBQ and Fiery Habanero (Frito-Lay). This new rollout may also shift consumers focus from the negativity of the recent lawsuits and bad publicity to the positivity of this inevitably delicious and profitable collaboration. Then again, because of the large percentage of overweight and obese Americans and a strong desire to switch to health smart ingredients, Doritos Locos may just be perceived as another fattening product line put out by the gluttonous fast food industry.

British Influence Turned the Indians From Civilized to Savage-Like Essa

British Influence Turned the Indians From Civilized to Savage-Like The average British citizen in America during the 17th Century had a preconceived notion of Indians as savage beasts. However, before the arrival of the British, the New England Indians, specifically the Wampanoag tribe, lived a harmonious and interdependent lifestyle. Conflict among the Wampanoag was limited to minor tribal disputes. The war methods of the Indians were in fact more civilized than the British methods. The close living quarters of the British and Indians forced the Indians to adopt aspects of British civilization in order to survive, such as the ways of warfare. Douglas Leach in his book Flintlock and Tomahawk: New England in the time of King Philip's War argues that British influence on Indian society turned the Indians from savage to civilized. This paper will argue that British influence turned the Indians from civilized to savage. The examination of Wampanoag behavior from before British influence through King Philip's War proves that Wampanoag beliefs became more materialistic, that land ownership became important, and that unnecessary violence became a part of their warfare. The way the Indians conducted war, although it appeared primitive and frightening, in actuality was less barbaric than the Puritans way of warfare. Leach describes the Wampanoag way of battle as unsophisticated and dance around a fire beating drums with their faces painted in order to demonstrate their ferocious manners. Then, using bows and arrows, tomahawks, and knives the Indians would send small groups of warriors against their enemy village. As a form of revenge during war the Indians often scalped their enemies as a trophy or captured their enemies for... ... in reality the Indians showed more civility than the British. It was not until the adoption of British methods that the Indians behavior became uncivilized, ruthless and cruel. Works Cited Anderson, Virginia DeJohn. "King Philip's Herds: Indians, Colonists, and the Problem of Livestock in Early New England." William and Mary Quarterly 51.(1994): 601-624 Drake, James D. King Philip's War: Civil War in New England 1675-1676. Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999. Hirsch, Adam J. "The Collision of Military Cultures in Seventeenth-Century New England." The Journal of American History. 74. 4 (1988): 1187-1212. Leach, Douglas E. flintlock and Tomahawk: New England in King Philip's War. NewYork: Norton, 1959 Salisbury, Neal, ed. The Sovereignty and Goodness of God by Mary Rowlandson with Related Documents. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997.

Macbeth Diary Entries Essay

I am weary and suspective of Macbeth as he questions much of my movement with Fleance that afternoon. I really feel something amiss. Maybe it is just Macbeth’s insecurity for all i know. It is late and Fleance is waiting for me in the woods. I must go now. Macbeth and I just had just came back from a battle. A great one indeed. We had came ashore and were proceeding back to Forres when we came upon this desserted and gloomy heath where we were most shcoked to be greeted by three witches that had long beards strecthing from their ragged cloaks. I was uncertain what gender they were, but i knew something was wrong. At first sight, the three creatures greeted Macbeth Thane of Glamis. They then started chanting prophesis that concerned Macbeth and me. The first witch chanted,†All hail,Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Glamis† followed by the next â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Cawdor† and the last of which chanted â€Å"All hail, Macbeth ,that shalt be king hereafter! † â€Å"Hail† they chanted three times together and continued prophesising. â€Å"Lesser then Macbeth, and greater. â€Å"the first witch chanted. Continued the second â€Å"Not so happy, yet much happier. â€Å"Thou shalt get kings ,though thou be none So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo. † Chanted the last of witch. I was overwhelmed by suspision when i heard those prophesies whilst Macbeth was, I should say rather engrosed and interested in their prophesies. Macbeth wanted them to stay but in a blink of an ey e, they suddenly disappeared into thin air. Macbeth was furious. â€Å"Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more†Macbeth Was truely interested in these creatures prophesy, but i just got a bad feeling about this. Dear Diary, The news my cousin brought filled me with an unimaginable grief. My family, brought to the graves by such feeble means, so defenceless and alone while I was off in England arguing with Malcolm about my loyalty, which how dare he question it! Only a monster would kill innocent children and women, there was no reason for it! How can they live with themselves? As I write I am miles away from Fife for how could I stay when that atrocity happened in the place where I would have rested? I can never forgive myself for what happened that day, that fateful day which has brought me nothing but pain. I lay in my bed last night feeling alone and confused. My thoughts were in flux; I had ranged between crushing, overwhelming depression, during which I had shed countless tears onto my blankets, and anger so volatile I got up to put on my armour and immediately head to Fife (thrice), in hopes of catching the perpetrator only to remember my family, take off my armour, and lay back down. My wife would not have liked me to be dwelling on avenging their deaths but it is the only thing my mind has been set on. I have thought of killing myself, taking away the pain but I cannot do that! What would people think? I have no heir to my title or wealth, they would think I killed my family myself! Then I think of that assassin and him off gallivanting killing more innocent people and breaking other peoples hearts and I know he’s got to be finished. If I ever find out who has killed my loved ones, I will be the death of them or they be the death of me. Macduff I am writing this entry, sitting at a desk in Scone. I have recently witnessed my dear friend Macbeth crowned King of Scotland. I am still in shock after the strange happenings of the past few days, so I am not yet overcome with neither joy nor grief. I should be happy for Macbeth, yet I feel that something inside me will not allow me to be so. These events, I fear, have not happened by chance, but that something evil, something supernatural is at work. Macbeth and I felt immense pride, on that fateful day as we rode, victorious, over the moor. We had just defeated the ghastly Norwegians, though by uncivilized means. Macbeth rightly said â€Å"So foul; and fair a day I have not seen†. Not far into our journey, we came upon three weird sisters. They all hailed Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king hereafter. True, he was Thane of Glamis, but we were puzzled, to say the least, about the other two statements. As I was intrigued, I questioned them about my future. In reply, they told me that my sons would me kings, and that I would be â€Å"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater†. This confuses me greatly, for had they not just said that Macbeth would be king? Of course, I chose not to believe these ‘instruments of darkness’. Amazingly, minutes after the sisters had vanished, Macbeth was announced Thane of Cawdor. We were both quite taken aback, for the beings had foretold that very thing. I think our minds both raced towards the third prediction, â€Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! I believe that Macbeth began to think about how to make the third prophecy a reality. We spoke no more about it. Surprisingly, Malcolm was named Duncan’s successor, though Macbeth was firm favourite in my mind, at least.

Reasons Why You Should Go to Class in College

Some days it can be flat-out impossible to find the motivation to go to class. Its a lot easier to come up with reasons not to: You havent had enough sleep, you just need a break, you have other things to do, theres something more exciting going on, the professor is bad, the professor wont notice, you wont miss anything, or you just dont want to go. Even if all of these excuses are true, its important to take a step back and gain some perspective about why going to class in college really does matter. Motivate yourself to attend every lecture by exploring reasons to attend class. Using Money Wisely Suppose your tuition costs $5,700 this semester—the average for in-state public institutions nationally. If youre taking four courses, thats $1,425 per course. And if youre in class 14 weeks each semester, thats more than $100 a week per class. Lastly, if your course meets twice a week, youre paying more than $50 for each class. Youre paying that $50 whether or not you go, so you might as well get something out of it. (And if youre going to an out-of-state public school or a private school, youre probably paying far more than $50 per class.) Avoiding Regret Going to class is like  going to the gym: Youll feel guilty if you dont go but awesome if you do. Some days, its nearly impossible to make yourself hit the gym. But on the days when you do go, youre always glad you did. Going to class often works the same way. You might lack the motivation at first, but it nearly always pays off later. Make yourself feel proud all day for going to class instead of guilty for skipping it. Learning Something Life-Changing Your professor might mention an organization that sounds interesting. Later, youll look it up, decide you want to volunteer for it, and ultimately land  a job after graduation. You never know when inspiration will strike in college.  Set yourself up for it by going to class and keeping an open mind about what kinds of things you can learn about and fall in love with. Enjoying the Experience College is certainly not enjoyable all of the time. But you went to college because you wanted to, and there are many students who dont have the opportunity to do what youre doing. Remember its a privilege to be working toward a college degree, and not going to class is a waste of your good fortune. Learning What You Need to Know You never know when your professor is going to drop that critical sentence in the middle of the lecture, such as, This will be on the exam. And if youre home in bed instead of in a seat in class, youll never know how important todays lesson really was. Conversely, your professor may say something along the lines of, This is important for you to read and understand, but it wont be part of the upcoming midterm. Thatll come in handy later when youre deciding where to focus your efforts when studying. Maybe youre only taking the course to meet a graduation requirement, but you just might learn something interesting in class that day. Socializing With Peers Even if youre still wearing your pajama pants and barely make it to class on time, youll likely still have a minute or two to catch up with some friends. And even if you just commiserate about how youre still recovering from the weekend, the camaraderie can be nice. Reducing Study Time Even if your professor just goes over the reading, such a review will help solidify critical points in your mind. This means the hour you spent in class reviewing material is one less hour you have to spend studying later. Asking Questions   College is different than high school in many ways, including the fact that the material is more difficult. Consequently, asking questions is an important part of your education. And its much easier to ask questions of your professor or teaching assistant when youre in class than when youre home trying to catch up on what you missed. Talking With Your Professor or TA While it may not seem important now, its helpful for your professor to know you—and vice versa. Even if she doesnt interact with you often, you never know how your class attendance might benefit you later. For example, if you need help with a paper or are close to failing the class, having the professor know your face when you go talk to her can help you make your case. Its important for you to make yourself familiar to your TA, too. TAs can be great resources—theyre often more accessible than a professor, and if you have a good relationship with them, they could be your advocate with the professor.   Getting Exercise If you dont think your brain can get anything out of going to class, maybe your body can. If youre walking, biking, or using some other kind of body-powered transportation to get around campus, youll at least get some exercise from going to class today. Talking to That Certain Someone The purpose of any class is academic pursuit, and learning should be the priority. But it doesnt hurt if you happen to be taking a class with a person you want to get to know better. Even if you both are commiserating about what else youd rather be doing, neither of you would be talking with each other if you didnt show up for class today. Being Prepared for Upcoming Work Its hard to be prepared for upcoming assignments if you dont go to class on a regular basis. You might be able to wing it, but the amount of time you spend trying to undo the damage youve done by skipping class is likely much more than the amount of time you would have spent just going to class in the first place. Enjoying Yourself You went to college to expand your mind, get exposure to new information, learn how to think critically and live an examined life. And once you have graduated, you may never again get to spend so much time doing those things. So even on the days when you find it difficult to come up with a reason to go to class, persuade yourself to go by reminding yourself how much you enjoy learning. Earning a Degree It can be difficult to graduate if you have a low GPA, and this is more likely to happen if youre not going to class. Investing in a college education is only worthwhile if you actually earn a degree. If you have student loans, theyre going to be a lot harder to pay back if youre not benefitting from the higher earning potential that comes with a college degree.